Mountains and Malbec in Mendoza
Wine tasting at Melvi winery in Mendoza
We arrived in Mendoza having undertaken our longest bus journey to date: it had been 18 hours since we left the rainstorms of Bariloche and arrived in the burning morning sunshine of Northern Argentina.
Mendoza was a must-visit for us on this trip, because we had desperately tried, but failed, to fit it into our itinerary last time we were in the country. So, what better way to kick off our time in the city, continue Graeme’s birthday celebrations, and pass the hours until we could check in to our air bnb, than brunch with a couple of cheeky mimosas? Boujee backpackers returned!
Bikes and Bodegas
Mendoza is perhaps best known for its thriving wine industry, its long history of grape cultivation dating back to the Spanish colonial era thanks to the combination of fertile soil, a range of microclimates, and the influence of the Andes' pure meltwater making the perfect conditions for wine production.
There are a few notable wine regions in the area, include Luján de Cuyo, the Uco Valley and the Maipu Valley region. Luján de Cuyo, known for historic wineries - or bodegas, as they are known here - and the Uco Valley, known for premium wines grown at higher elevation, are a little way out of the city and best accessed by tour, car or taxi. The Maipu Valley, however, is a budget travellers dream!
We set off from the centre of Mendoza on a public bus to the Coquimbito area of the city where we hired bikes. Yes, I know, yet ANOTHER day out on bikes. The fourth times in the last month. Although… cycling to drink wine was a great motivator for me, so I didn’t protest too much. It’ll be the last bike ride for a while though!
The friendly staff at the bike company gave us a map of eight wineries within cycling distance, highlighting great food options, tour times and prices for tastings. It was everything we needed to create a DIY Maipu Valley tour.
Over the next four hours we visited four bodegas, an olive oil & balsamic vinegar producer, and ate countless empanadas. We finished the day with a guided tour so we could learn all about the production process in the area. Domiciano, the bodega where we had the tour, is famous for only harvesting grapes at night to prevent fermentation beginning in the heat of the day. Talk about dedication!
Here’s what our day looked like:
Mevi (wine tasting and empanadas)
Viña El Cerno (wine tasting)
Tempus Alba (wine tasting, empanadas & self guided tour)
La Melesca (Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar tasting with bread, dips and a glass of wine)
Domiciano (wine tasting & guided tour)
There were some great revelations that day. Graeme found a white wine he enjoyed in Torrontes - quote “the best white wine I have ever tasted” - we discovered the cheesy heaven of a caprese empanada, and I was pretty much drinking the sweet balsamic vinegar at La Melesca it was so good!
The whole day our, including bus, bikes, tastings and tours, cost under £35. Maybe the best budget activity we’ve done all trip!
Gaucho Life
It’s safe to say after our wine excursion we needed a day recovering, which we spent getting to know the city better, including the beautiful San Martin Park. One thing we have noticed about South American cities: they sure know how to make a park!
Our final day in the city was dedicated to a final birthday celebration for Graeme (I know I’ve been saying that for two blog posts, I just really like celebrating birthdays!)
We were picked up in the centre of Mendoza and driven 2 hours out of the city into the mountains to a remote farm. Here, we did something we have never done before - we rode horses!
The horses were very calm and well trained but I was still pretty nervous climbing up. Then the weather decided this would be the one day of the year it rains in Mendoza… great! So off we trotted, along a rocky mountain path towards the sunset in the pouring rain.
It was an amazing experience. As most of the group were on horses for the first time it was mainly a quiet experience… we were all concentrating on not falling off! But the horses knew the path very well so there wasn’t really too much input required from us. We could just sit back and enjoy the view.
On returning to the farm we sat down for a traditional bbq - or asado, as it is called - with the rest of the group. It was such a wonderful atmosphere. We ate the most deliciously tender meat smothered in chimichurri, along with potatoes roasted over the flames and colourful salads. Then we gathered round the fire and drank wine.
The group of people we were with were really interesting, and included a Dutch semi-professional footballer who was in Argentina for his best friends wedding… his best friend being a Tour de France cyclist. Graeme could have spoken to him for hours!
It was one of the many highlights of our time away so far. One of those moments where you look around and think, “Is this real? Am I really doing this?” It was certainly one of the most memorable birthdays Graeme has ever had… what a way to turn 36!
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